Aryan Brotherhood Gangs of Texas

The Aryan Brotherhood of Texas prison gang (ABT) originated in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice in the early 1980's. It is patterned after the California Aryan Brotherhood prison gang who sanctioned the use of their name.

A council, or steering committee, provides leadership. This committee approves prospective members, makes decisions on gang rules, and is responsible for resolving problems between members. The committee is also the authority, which issues orders for "hits" or "contracts."

Adversarial rivalry exists between the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas and other prison gangs to include the Mandingo Warriors, La Nuestra Familia, Black Guerilla Family and other black groups.

Aryan Brotherhood of Texas gang members frequently attempt to hide their gang affiliation by claiming to be members of the Aryan Nations, which preaches white supremacist views as a religion.